A local subsidiary of the New York-listed company Genie Energy — which is advised by former vice
president Dick Cheney and whose shareholders include Jacob Rothschild and Rupert Murdoch — will now have exclusive rights to a 153-square mile radius in the southern part of the Golan
Heights.

That geographic location will likely prove controversial. Israel seized the Golan Heights in the
Six-Day War in 1967 and annexed the territory in 1981. Its administration of the area — which is not
recognized by international law — has been mostly peaceful until the Syrian civil war broke out 23
months ago.

“This action is mostly political – it’s an attempt to deepen Israeli commitment to the occupied
Golan Heights,” Israeli political analyst Yaron Ezrahi told FT. “The timing is directly related to the
fact that the Syrian government is dealing with violence and chaos and is not free to deal with this
problem.”

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Yes, it's political. No, it's not "an attempt to deepen Israeli commitment to the occupied Golan Heights." It's an attempt to deepen the TIES between Israel and U.S. interests.